1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to decorative structures that are illuminated with multiple light sources. More particularly, the present invention relates to decorative structures, such as pinwheels, bows and folded ribbons that are illuminated using multiple light sources.
2. Prior Art Statement
Traditional decorative bows are typically made from looped strips of paper or fabric that are folded in a symmetrical pattern. Decorative bows are commonly used as decorations on packages. Such bows are also used as Christmas tree decorations, door decorations, wall hangings and the like. A variation of the folded bow is the pinwheel. In a pinwheel, material is folded and looped to form vanes instead of decorative loops. The center of each folded vane is then attached to an axle pin. This enables the folded vanes of the pinwheel to turn as the vanes of the pinwheel catch the wind. Pinwheels, like traditional bows, are also used to adorn packages and form decorative objects.
Typically, the aesthetic value of a bow or pinwheel relies greatly on the material used to form that object and the complexity of the folds used in its creation. For this reason, bows and pinwheels are often made from brightly colored and/or decorated materials. In an attempt to make bows and pinwheels even more noticeable, illumination sources have been added to bows and pinwheels. The illumination sources illuminate the folds of the bow or pinwheel, thereby making the structure more noticeable, especially in low light conditions.
Traditional decorative bows are stationary objects. As such, illuminating a traditional bow is not a complex endeavor. Illumination sources are placed into the bow. If multiple illumination sources are used, the various illumination sources are connected in series with wire. The wire is then hidden within the folds of the bow. The problems associated with illuminating a bow is that room must be made in or around the bow to hold the batteries for the lights. Furthermore, the cost of the batteries and illumination sources typically cost much more than does the bow itself. An example of an illuminated bow is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,072 to Root, Jr., entitled Illuminated Ornamental Apparatus.
In a pinwheel, the vanes of the pinwheel turn in the wind. As such, it is much more difficult to illuminate the vanes of a pinwheel. To electrically illuminate any object, there must be a light and a power source for that light. As such, to electrically illuminate a pinwheel, lights and a power source must be added to the pinwheel. Traditional lights require the use of batteries that are fairly heavy. Such batteries cannot be placed on the vanes of a pinwheel because the added mass would make the pinwheel too heavy to be turned by a light wind. As a consequence, batteries are not placed on the vanes. Individual lights on the vanes can be joined to a stationary common power source using wiping contacts. However, such an assembly is very expensive to manufacture. A cheaper way to illuminate a pinwheel is to provide a stationary source of illumination that emits light towards the moving vanes. A pinwheel with a stationary internal source of illumination is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,507 to Stec, entitled Electric Lawn Ornament. A pinwheel that relies upon external light for illumination is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,809 to Kessler, entitled Pinwheel Toy. However, stationary light source tend not to be as visually interesting as are moving light sources.
The problems associated with illuminating a pinwheel at multiple points is the same as those illuminating a bow at multiple points. The cost and complexity of running multiple lights to a single power source is cost prohibitive. Additionally, the room required for the single power source and the wires that must run to the single power source complicates the structure of the pinwheel. Issues of cost, balance and the weight of the vanes prevent illumination sources from being applied directly to the vanes of the pinwheel.
A need therefore exists for a low cost way to illuminate a pinwheel or bow at multiple points on the folds of these structures without detracting from their appearance or performance. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is an illuminated assembly that can be configured as a pinwheel, pinwheel bow or decorative bow. The illuminated assembly includes segments of material that are folded over to form looped structures. Depending on the shape of the segment of material and the manner in which those segments are folded, the folded looped structures can form a pinwheel or a bow. At least some of the segments of material have a laminated structure, wherein two pieces of material are attached together. Miniature light emitting diodes (LEDs) are placed within the laminated segments of material. The wires that provide power to the LEDs travel through the segment of material in between the laminated layers.
In the center of the assembly is a hub. In the hub are a power source and a control circuit. Each of the LEDs, present in the assembly, interconnects with the control circuit in the hub. The control circuit contains a motion sensor and lights the LEDs only when motion is detected.